Can You Freeze Spinach? Yes, Blanch for 2 Minutes
Spinach freezes well. Blanch 2 minutes for soups and cooking, or freeze raw leaves for smoothies. Get the steps, storage time and uses.
Can you freeze spinach? Yes. For cooking, blanch it for 2 minutes, cool it, drain it and pack it, which is the method from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. For smoothies, you can freeze raw leaves with no blanching. Either way, thawed spinach is for cooked dishes, not salads.
Can you freeze spinach?
Yes, and it's one of the most useful vegetables to freeze, since it wilts and goes slimy in the fridge fast. Raw leaves are a different story: USDA's FoodKeeper marks fresh spinach as not recommended for freezing, which is why NCHFP's method blanches it first.
The texture changes. Thawed leaves are wilted and soggy (The Harvest Kitchen). That makes it fine for soups, eggs and sauces and unusable for salads and sandwiches. The same method applies to people searching for how to freeze fresh spinach.
How can you freeze spinach?
NCHFP says blanching slows or stops the enzymes that cause loss of flavor, color and texture, and also brightens color (NCHFP). For raw leaves headed straight into smoothies, you can skip it.
Blanched method, per NCHFP:
- Choose young, tender leaves, wash them thoroughly and cut off woody stems.
- Water blanch for 2 minutes. Collards need 3 minutes, but spinach and other greens need 2.
- Cool promptly in cold or ice water, then drain thoroughly. NCHFP says extra moisture can cause a loss of quality when vegetables are frozen (NCHFP).
- Pack into containers or bags with 1/2 inch of headspace, seal and freeze (NCHFP).
| Method | Prep | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Blanched | 2 minutes in boiling water, ice bath, squeeze dry | Soups, eggs, pasta, casseroles |
| Raw leaves | Wash, dry thoroughly, bag with air pressed out | Smoothies only |
| Cubes | Blanch and chop, press into ice cube trays, bag the cubes | Dropping into hot dishes |
The raw method is quick, but the leaves keep their enzymes and quality drops sooner, so use raw-frozen spinach within about a month (The Harvest Kitchen).
How long does frozen spinach keep, and how do you thaw it?
NCHFP's range for frozen vegetables kept at 0°F is 8 to 12 months at best quality, with the shorter time giving the best result. Our spinach storage page lists about 300 days, which falls inside that for a blanched pack. The Harvest Kitchen's recipe suggests using blanched cubes within 3 months (The Harvest Kitchen). Frozen food stays safe indefinitely, and the time limit is about quality (USDA FSIS).
You don't need to thaw it. Add frozen spinach cubes straight to a simmering soup or skillet, and frozen leaves straight into the blender. If you want to thaw it, use the refrigerator, then squeeze out the liquid. Throw out spinach that smells sour or shows slime or mold. When in doubt, throw it out.
What changes when you freeze spinach, and what should you use it for?
Spinach goes dark green, soft and compact. A pound of fresh leaves wilts down to about 1 cup once blanched.
- Soups, stews and curries
- Scrambled eggs, omelets and frittatas
- Lasagna, stuffed pasta and dips
- Smoothies, using raw-frozen leaves
For help cooking frozen greens, see how to cook frozen vegetables so they taste good. Out of spinach for a recipe? Browse swaps on the substitutes page.
What foods are like spinach for the freezer?
Leafy greens are mixed. See whether you can freeze kale without blanching, celery and mushrooms, plus the full list in Can you freeze food?.
Use up spinach before it wilts
Add three foods from your fridge to Well Stockd and see what you can cook, with each item sorted by how soon it needs to go. Try it free or see the best app to track food expiration dates.
FAQ
Do you have to blanch spinach before freezing?
NCHFP recommends it for quality. You can freeze raw leaves for smoothies, but they keep less well.
Can you freeze spinach without blanching?
Yes. Wash and dry the leaves very well, bag them with the air pressed out and use them within about a month, mostly in smoothies.
Can you freeze spinach after it has wilted?
If it's just limp, yes, and cooking it is the best use. If it's slimy or smells sour, throw it out.